Town clerk honoured to win national award

A man from Cornwall said it was an "honour" to win a national award for his work as a town clerk.

James Hardy was named Town Clerk of the Year by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) last month.

Mr Hardy's role as Penzance town clerk is to work with the mayor and manage the council.

He said his role allowed him to focus on "important things to people in the local area."

The ceremony took place at the House of Lords on 25 February, and the award recognised "exceptional clerks whose dedication and expertise have significantly impacted their council," said the NALC.

In a statement, Penzance Council said Mr Hardy had won due to his "focus on improving access to public-facing services".

James Hardy was made town clerk in September 2022 after more than 20 years working in different local government positions.

He said: "I was hugely surprised as I've only been in this role here in Penzance for two and a half years, and there's a lot of far more experienced clerks than myself.

Mayor of Penzance, Stephen Reynolds said it was a "hugely well-deserved award".

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